Red Hook’s Michael Whitman Receives the Livio D’Arpino Scholarship

By Randy Vogt, Director of Public Relations, Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association

August 19, 2013-The Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) is very pleased to announce that Michael Whitman of Red Hook is receiving the 2013 Livio D’Arpino Scholarship.

Mike plays for the Hyde Park Lightning of the East Hudson Youth Soccer League (EHYSL). His coach, Dave Owens, once said that "I wish we could play 11 Mike Whitman’s on the field at once."

Mike’s varsity coach, Steve Sutton of Red Hook High School, stated that he "is the quietest MVP" he has ever coached.

As Mike wrote in his essay, "I prefer to let my actions speak louder than words. Yelling at the referee will not change his/her mind…All I can do is improve my play to the best of my ability. I have only received one yellow card my entire soccer career and my character defines who I am on and off the field."

The National Honor Society member had perfect attendance from Kindergarten to the 8th Grade and was on the High Honor Roll from 2009 to 2013. He will be majoring in Engineering and playing soccer at Western New England University.

The scholarship’s namesake, Livio D’Arpino, was an ENYYSA Vice President who was involved in seemingly every level of local soccer before his untimely passing in 2002.

With 123,843 youth soccer players––68,587 boys and 55,256 girls––and more than 25,000 volunteers, the non-profit Eastern New York Youth Soccer Association (ENYYSA) stretches from Montauk Point, Long Island to the Canadian border. Members are affiliated with 12 leagues throughout the association, which covers the entire state of New York east of Route 81. ENYYSA exists to promote and enhance the game of soccer for children and teenagers between the ages of 5 and 19 years old, and to encourage the healthy development of youth players, coaches, referees and administrators. All levels of soccer are offered––from intramural, travel team and premier players as well as Special Children. No child who wants to play soccer is turned away. ENYYSA is a proud member of the United States Soccer Federation and United States Youth Soccer Association. For more information, please log on to http://www.enysoccer.com/, which receives nearly 300,000 hits annually from the growing soccer community.